Coin holder



Jufiy 13, 1954 w E- 2,683,526

COIN HOLDER Filed July 22, 1949 INVENTOR. fab/7 .5: h fieaf/e PatentedJuly 13, 1954 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE COIN HOLDER John E. Wheatley,Cincinnati, Ohio Application July 22, 1949, Serial No. 106,206

6 Claims.

This invention has to do with a coin holder or a device that may enterinto or form a part of a medium of exchange and it is a general objectof the invention to provide a simple, efiective, practical structure ordevice useful generally as a coin holder or in combination with or as ameans of handling a coin or coins, tokens, slugs, etc.

The structure provided by the present invention is suitable for use as acoin holder medium of exchange in which case it may be monetized to havea definite value, and when used in combination with a coin or coins itsvalue will be added to that of the coin or coins to result in a unit ormedium of exchange of a predetermined or desired value. The device orstructure may be considered as a pocket piece to be conveniently handledor carried in a pocket, a purse, or most any usual coin handling elementor structure.

The structure may serve merely as a means of facilitating convenient,quick handling of coins, as for example in the handling of a combinationor group of coins necessary to make up a given value.

The structure in its preferred form involves an annular body which iscut, split or divided so that it is, in effect, a split or expansiblering, and it is preferably made of a material such as a metal havingsuch resilience as to enable the body to yieldingly grip a coin whencombined therewith.

In a preferred form of the invention the body opening in which coins arereceived has parts which check axial movement of one or more coins. Onepart preferably positively checks coin movement in one direction, whilethe other serves to yieldingly or frictionally resist or check coinmovement preferably in the other direction. Where the structure isemployed to handle coins of different sizes the parts are related sothat the small or smaller coins are retained by the positive coinholding or restraining part while one of the largest coins is yieldinglyor frictionally restrained or held by the other coin holding part. Inthe use of such preferred embodiment of the invention coins previouslyarranged in or applied to the structure may be conveniently and quicklydischarged from the holder in the payment of an obligation or in themaking of a purchase or to segregate the device from the coins for usealone as a coin by mere application of pressure on the endmost smallcoin while the device is retained in fingers of the hand, the thumb ofwhich is in most cases found convenient for exerting the pressure on thesmall coin.

It is a general object of the'present invention to providea' structureof the general character referred to which is such that a predeterminednumber or combination of coins may be conveniently applied thereto orinstalled therein, to be handled thereby or to be added to the valuethereof, as for instance, at the users convenience to establish a pocketpiece or medium of exchange that can be conveniently and readilyselected from a collection of usual coins and which can, if the coinsonly are to be used, be conveniently and quickly operated by the use ofone hand to release the coins for delivery, as when paying an obligationor making a purchase. With the structure of the present invention thecoin engaging element itself is of such form and construction as to bereadily retained in the hand while the coins are discharged therefrom,with the result that the user may replace the structure in a pocket orpurse to be reloaded at will. The device being annular in form is suchthat it is conveniently held following discharge of coins. For example,a user can conveniently pass a finger into the emptied device so thedevice is held on the finger until deposited, as in a pocket, purse, orother such receptacle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a structure ofthe general character referred to which is such that it will receive andeffectively hold a given combination of coins, as for instance a fivecent piece and three cents, making up a value or combination of coinssuch as is now commonly required in the purchase of articles such asnewspapers, sundry items such as are purchased in drug stores, atnewsstands, etc., or are required as fares on public conveyances ofvarious kinds, etc. The structure serves as a most convenient andpractical medium for the person possessing it and also as a greatconvenience and time saver for the merchant or vendor. A personpossessing the device can at any convenient or opportune time easily andquickly arrange or deposit the coins in the device and after acquiringsome experience this operation may be performed without any particularcare, study or premeditation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure of the generalcharacter referred to which is of such general form and nature that itmay be advantageously minted or coined so that it is monetized at apredetermined value, to the end that when combined with one or morecoins, it forms a medium of exchange of a value such as ordinary coinsnow in common use do not conveniently make or which cannot be made withordinary coins. For example, the structure may be monetized as afraction of a cent, or at a value of say two and a half cents. In suchcases, taken alone or in combination with a coin or coins of commondenomination it becomes a convenient medium of exchange for the paymentof various taxes or in making purchases where items or articles arepriced within narrow margins of value or at fractions of usual values,or for fares on public conveyances, etc.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fullyunderstood from the following detailed description of typical preferredforms and applications of the invention, throughout which descriptionreference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the present inventionshowing it related to several coins, the coins being shown related inthe order in which they are engageable in the device. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the device shown in Fig. 1, and showing the coinsengaged in or carried by the device. Fig. 3 is a view illustrating thehand of a user in the process of discharging coins from the device. Fig.4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device showing it withoutcoins. Fig. 5 is an end elevation, being a view taken as indicated byline 5-5 on Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the device as shown inFig. 4, showing coins arranged therein. Fig. '7 is an end view of theloaded device as shown in Fig. 6, being a view taken as indicated by theline 'I'! on Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailed sectional view asindicated by line 8-43 on Fig. '7. Fig. 9 is a sectional view similar toFig. 6, showing another embodiment of the invention. Fig. 10 is a viewtaken as indicated by line Iii-4n on Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a view similarto Fig. 5 of another modified form of the invention, and Fig. 12 is aview taken on line l2-l2 on Fig. 11.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, can beused to advantage where it is desired to have available for immediateuse a predetermined group or combination of coins and where it isintended that the user should retain the device and deliver only thecoins in the course of making a deposit or in paying an obligation. Itis to be understood that the invention contemplates that all of thestructures or devices set forth in the drawings may be monetized so asto have a predetermined value or values, in which case they may bedelivered with the combination of coins held thereby, and may 5 be usedin the payment of an amount corresponding to the combined value of thecoins and the device. When I refer to the device as being monetized I donot intend that such terminology is limited to the device being givenvalue by a a government, or governmental agency, but I mean to includeevaluation of the device by various agencies, as for instance by publicutility or transportation companies, merchandisers of various kinds,etc.

In Figs. 1 to 8 of the drawings I show an embodiment of the inventiondesigned to handle a plurality of small coins in combination with onelarge coin, and for purpose of example it may be considered that thesmall or smaller coins are cents, while the large coin is a five centpiece. In such case the combined value of the coins carried is eightcents. It will be apparent that any desired combination may be resortedto to gain a desired value.

The device as provided by the present invention is characterized by abody A of suitable material, which body is annular or cylindrical inform to be in the nature of a ring and in the preferred form of theinvention it is provided with a longitudinal cut or slit in making it asplit or divided ring which is resilient. In carrying out the inventionvarious materials or combinations of materials may be employed in theformation of the body A and for certain uses the body may be of moldedor cast material other than metal, it being preferred, however, that formost uses it be formed of metal and that the metal have a substantialamount of resiliency so that the device has the gripping actionhereinafter described.

The exterior of the body A may, in practice, vary widely in form,proportioning, design, etc. In the case illustrated the body A isprovided with fiat smooth ends H that occur in planes normal to the axisof the body and it has an outer periphery [2 which is smooth and turnedor made round so that it is concentric with the axis of the holder. Itwill be apparent that the exterior surfaces H and I2 of the body A may,if desired, be ornamented, provided with markings designating value, ormay be employed to carry advertising matter, etc. In practice I preferthat the body be limited in size and weight so that it is generallycomparable with a coin or like pocket piece.

The interior of the body A forms a coin carrying socket or pocket and itwill be apparent from the drawing that the body is made of such lengthor extent axially as to receive and hold a group of coins making up thedesired value. The structure is such that a very wide range or variationof coin combinations can be accommodated employing the structure of thepresent invention.

In accordance with the present invention the body A is provided at itsinterior or at its inner periphery with two coin retaining parts l3 and[4 which parts engage or cooperate with coins to control axial shiftingof coins in the device. In the preferred form of the invention one ofthe retaining parts at the interior of the body positively retains thecoins or checks axial movement in one direction in the body, while theother retaining part yieldingly or frictionally holds one of the coinsagainst movement in the opposite direction and thus normally holds allof the coins and provides for release of all the coins from the holder.Movement of the releasably held coin a distance equal to its thicknessis all that is necessary to effect release and when the one frictionallyheld coin is released all of the coins are freed for discharge. In theparticular case illustrated the retainer or retaining part l3 serves topositively check axial movement of coins in the holder while theretaining part [4 yieldingly or releasably holds the coins.

The retaining part l3 in the form of the invention illustrated i in theform of a rib or flange I1 projecting inwardly at one end of the body topresent a shoulder I5 that faces the opposite end of the body. The innerperiphery of thebody or the body opening l6 adjacent the flange is suchas to receive certain coins with clearance so that the coin that engagesthe shoulder I5 and other like coins within the body opening [6 areloose or free. The flange [1 having the shoulder I5 i preferably oflimited radial extent so that it overlies the face of the outermostsmall coin in the body opening 16 at the peripheral portion thereofleaving substantially the entire face of such coin free or exposed.Further the flange with the shoulder I5 is of limited extent axially sothat it does not interfere with application of a finger or thumb to thesmall coin at shoulder l5 in a manner such as is indicated in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings,

The retaining part It occurs at or is located in the body A at the endportion opposite to that at which the flange ll occurs. The part I4 isengageable with the peripheral edge 29 of a large coin and in the casebeing described it is such as to engage the edge of a coin X which islarger than the coins Y that fit in or are received by the body openingit. The part I4 is formed by providing an enlargement or counterbore inthe body A from the end opposite the flange l1 and by thus enlarging orcounterboring the body opening a stop shoulder 2! is provided in thebody facing the end of the body from which the counterbore occurs. Thestop shoulder is such as to limit inward movement of the large coin Xand it is so spaced from shoulder as to allow a predetermined number ofsmall coins Y to be arranged in the body to be held between the largecoin X and the shoulder l5. In the case illustrated three small coins Yare engaged or carried in the body between the large coin X and theshoulder IS.

The part l5 involves a cylindrical face or surface designed to bear uponthe peripheral edge 26 of the large coin X and in accordance with thepresent invention the counterbore is of such size that the retainingface I4 is slightly smaller in diameter than the coin X, with the resultthat engagement of the coin in the holder to be within the face or partIt requires that the body A be sprung or enlarged slightly, which actionof the body is permitted by the cut at It. The body in effect conformsitself to the size of the large coin and is such as to adapt itself tothe variations that occur between different coins of the samedenomination. It will be apparent that by suitably making thecounterbore which provides the retaining part Id of the desired size andby forming the body of the desired weight or size and of the desiredmaterial, the holder will engage and grip the large coin X in thedesired manner or with the desired pressure.

In practice it is preferred that the parts he related, proportioned anddesigned so that the large coin X is retained by the part is in themanner shown in Fig. 6 with sufficient pressure so that the coins remainin the body during normal handling or use of the assembly or medium, asfor instance during carrying of the medium in a purse or pocket withkeys, other coins, etc., while at the same time enabling the user toreadily eject the coins from the body A by pressure on the exposed smallcoin Y in the mannersuch as is indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. FromFig. 3 of the drawings it will be apparent that the body A is enoughlarger than the coins so that it can be readily segregated from othercoins or mediums of exchange in a pocket or purse and it may be readilyretained in the hand of the user for reuse following discharge of thecoins as indicated in Fig. 3. The body being a ring can be convenientlycarried or held on a finger when there are no coins in it.

In the preferred form of the invention the end of the body counterboredfor the formation of the retaining part I is extended slightly, as at30, providing a suitable beveled or inclined surface 3i which adjoins orleads to the part Id. The inclined surface 3! in practice may be pitchedat an angle of about to degrees relative to the axis of the holder, inwhich case it i effective in spreading the ring to receive the largecoin the periphery of which is slightly larger than the opening in thebody and in guiding the large coin A into the part It as the coins areassembled.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 of thedrawings the body A which is annular in form and in the nature of asplit ring, is designed to handle but a single coin'Z. In this case theshoulder IS on flange IT is engaged by the coin Z while the coin isreleasably retained by the retaining part I4. This form of the inventionis partially practical for use where the device is to be monetized andin such case suitable markings 35a may be provided on the exterior ofthe body indicating value or other information, as required. Further, itwill be apparent that where the device is thus to be monetized it may bemade such as to engage the coin so the coin can be conveniently releasedtherefrom after the manner above described and as shown in Fig. 3 or itmay be made to tightly grip the coin to, ineifect, remain permanentlythereon.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 of thedrawings the body H is similar, generally, to the form of the inventionfirst described, except that in this case the body is such as to carryone or more small coins Y and two or more large coins X. In this casethe body opening occurring between the flange ll" and the coin holdingpart I4" is stepped or has two diameters, a small part or a smalldiameter l6 accommodating the small coin or coins Y adjacent the flangeI? and a large part or large diameter l8" adjacent the retaining part[4" and such as to loosely carry or hold one or more large coins X. Itis preferred that the wall of the coin gripping part Id" be relieved orrecessed at circumferentially spaced portions leaving onlycircumferentially spaced lands or high parts that engage and hold theperiphery of the large coin. When the outermost large coin has beenreleased other large coins may tilt and discharge freely, in any eventbut slight pressure will displace the following large coins. This formof the invention will serve to illustrate the manner in whichmodifications or variations of the invention may be made, accommodatingthe device to various combinations of coins, as may be necessary to makeup desired values. In a particular locality a public carrier may chargea fare requiring the combination of a predetermined number of coins inwhich event the device of the present invention may be modified orvaried along the lines indicated from the foregoing description, so thatsuch combination or group of coins is handled in the manner indicated.

I may in practice provide a sight opening 60 in the body so a person canat one point see the edges of all of the coins in the body. By locatingthe sight opening close to the cut in the body it may be made large, forinstance, it may be a large bore as shown in the drawings withoutmaterially effecting the strength or resiliency of the body.

It is to be understood that in practice any or all of the various edgesor corners presented by the structure may be dressed, beveled orotherwise finished or shaped so that they are safe and free ofobjectional features.

Having described only typical preferred forms and applications of myinvention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specificdetails herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variationsor modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fallwithin the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a longitudinally split cylindrical body defining anopening with end portions of difierent diameters, coins of difierentdiameters in stacked relation in the opening with the largest coin inthe portion of largest diameter and the smallest coin in the portion ofsmallest diameter, the body having a shoulder at the outer end of theopening portion of smallest diameter positively stopping displacement ofcoins therefrom and having a cylindrical gripping surface in the openingportion of largest diameter frictionally gripping the periphery of thelargest com.

2. In combination, a longitudinally split cylindrical body defining anopening with end portions of different diameters, coins of diiferentdiameters in stacked relation in the opening with the largest coin inthe portion of largest diameter and the smallest coin in the portion ofsmallest diameter, there being an intermediate coin in the stack betweenthose aforementioned, the body having a shoulder at the outer end of theopening portion of smallest diameter positively stopping displacement ofcoins therefrom and having a cylindrical gripping surface in the openingportion of largest diameter frictionally gripping the periphery of thelargest coin, there being a portion of the opening between the said endportions thereof freely accommodating the said intermediate coin.

3. A coin holder including a longitudinally split cylindrical bodydefining an opening adapted to receive coins, the body having a shoulderadjacent one end adapted to positively check displacement of a coin fromsaid end of the opening, and having a cylindrically curved grippingsurface confined to and unrestricted at the other end of the openingadapted to frictionally engage and releasably retain a second coinlarger in diameter than the first mentioned coin, there being space inthe body smaller in diameter than the gripping surface and locatedbetween the shoulder and said gripping surface adapted to freelyaccommodate an additional coin.

4. In combination, a longitudinally split cylindrical body defining anopening with end portions of different diameters, coins of differentdiameters in stacked relation in the opening with the largest coin inthe portion of largest diameter and the smallest coin in the portion ofsmallest diameter, there being a plurality of additional coins in thestack the size of said smallest coin, the body having a shoulder at theouter end of the opening portion of smallest diameter positivelystopping displacement of coins therefrom and having a cylindricalgripping surface in the opening portion of largest diameter frictionallygripping the periphery of the largest coin, there being a portion of theopening between said end portions thereof smaller in diameter than thelarger end portion and freely accommodating the said additional coins.

5. In combination, a longitudinally split cylindrical body defining anopening with end portions of different diameters, coins of differentdiameters in stacked relation in the opening with the largest coin inthe portion of largest diameter and the smallest coin in the portion ofsmallest diameter, there being an additional coin in the stack the sizeof said largest coin, the body having a shoulder at the outer end of theopening portion of smallest diameter positively stopping displacement ofcoins therefrom and having a cylindrical gripping surface in the openingportion of largest diameter frictionally gripping the periphery of thelargest coin, there being a portion of the opening between said endportions thereof freely accommodating the said additional coin.

6. In combination, a plurality of coins of different sizes and a singlelongitudinally split cylindrical body having an opening through it fromone end to the other receiving the coins in stacked relation and fromone end only of the body, the opening having cylindrical end portions ofdifferent diameter, the smaller end portion being adapted to freelyreceive the smaller coin and being smaller than the larger coin and thelarger end portion being adapted to grip the larger coin, there being astop shoulder at one end of the body adjacent the smaller end portion ofthe opening positively checking displacement of coins from that end ofthe body, the larger end portion of the opening being unobstructed atthe other end of the body and frictionally holding only one of thecoins, said one coin acting as a retainer for the other coins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 632,938 Greenburg Sept. 12, 1899 837,685 Kintz Dec. 4, 1906851,078 Dunn Apr. 23, 1907 893,890 Zamboni July 21, 1908 992,087Vandervoort May 9, 1911 1,255,553 Nathan Feb. 5, 1918 1,751,615 BowerMar. 25, 1930 1,771,873 Chalmers July 29, 1930 2,027,667 Brinkman Jan.14, 1936 2,434,553 Ensley Jan. 13, 1948 2,444,804 Carruthers July 6,1948

